Social media is mourning the loss of U.S. Army Sgt. Michelle Young, an Instagram fashion and fitness influencer who tragically committed suicide just days after her daughter's twelfth birthday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write this today,” her friend Sarah Maine wrote on GoFundMe. “Our good friend and athlete Michelle killed us.”
“Michelle was a beautiful soul, an amazing friend, a single mom, a trooper, and it's proof that you never know what someone is going through or what demons they may be battling,” Maine said. “We will never fill the voids in our hearts and we will always be left with questions of why.”
“Michelle is survived by her daughter Gracie, who was her whole world,” she it continued. “NOTHING can replace her mother, but the purpose of this is to help her daughter Gracie with whatever she may need. We know Michelle would appreciate all of us taking care of her now.”
According to the daily mailYoung, 34, “enlisted in the army at 17”.
The Prescott, Arizona, resident “returned from her first deployment seven years later, shortly after her daughter's second birthday,” the company reports.
The soldier had served two tours in Afghanistan and, in 2021, extended his military contract to serve 20 years.
“I was in the military before I was a mom,” Young told her more than 100,000 Instagram followers. “I volunteered for this life, she didn't. He's had to be away from his only father for multiple deployments, TDYs and training, but he never complains.”
“When I became a mother it was the happiest and at the same time the most terrifying time of my life,” she said. he wrote in February of last year. I was absolutely terrified of failing, but I knew that failure was not an option.”
“I became a single mom when my daughter had one, and I knew then that I didn't care if I had to work twice as hard, love twice as much, and have twice as much fun,” she said. “I was going to give my daughter the childhood she (and all children) deserve. I would play both roles as a father, teach her lessons from a mother's and a father's point of view, and even I would make sure he could roll his eyes at dad's jokes.
“She would grow up with everything kids with two parents have,” Young promised. “I can't say 'we did it' because parenting is a journey that never ends, but I would say we are doing exactly as I prayed we would when I envisioned our future. Our life is full of happiness, love, adventures and gratitude for all who are part of our tribe.”
Just four days before he took his own life, Young posted a birthday message to Gracie.
“Happy birthday to the sweetest girl I've ever met,” she he wrote. “She is a force to be reckoned with, witty, ambitious, kind, compassionate, intelligent, hard-working, funny and selfless.”
“I cried the whole time I did that,” Young confessed. “I love you forever, baby. The best part of my life is being your mom.”
Tributes to Young poured in on Instagram and X.
“I am absolutely heartbroken,” one user wrote on Instagram. “I always enjoyed connecting with you. You were a kind and beautiful person and I hope you found the peace you were looking for.”
“My heart breaks for your daughter and family,” another follower wrote. “I hope you finally rest in peace, and I'm sorry that as a veteran community we couldn't help in time. Beyond sorry.”
AX, the sad sentiment echoed.
“This saddens me,” the Crisis Action Team wrote. “The suicide epidemic among my fellow veterans and military is a stain on our nation. Pray for her and all of them America.”
This makes me sad. The suicide epidemic among my fellow veterans and military members is a stain on our nation. Pray for her and all of them America. pic.twitter.com/7EZfP4Xcjf
— Crisis Action Team (@CrisisActionTm) January 21, 2024
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 24/7 Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots and Poker
Digest magazines. She's a UCLA grad, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan Currently, Melissa lives with her dog and two cats in a small town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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